King Leatherbury’s Two Greatest ‘Regrets’ About Ben’s Cat

Reflecting after Saturday's burial ceremony at Laurel Park, King Leatherbury told deadspin.com that he had “regrets, about Ben.” The breeder and trainer of Maryland legend Ben's Cat, Leatherbury's two greatest regrets come in the form of bets he didn't make on the 32-time winning gelding.

The first bet Leatherbury didn't make came just after Ben's Cat's birth in 2006. It costs $500 to nominate a foal to the Breeders' Cup, and he decided that Ben's Cat wasn't worth the investment.

“His breeding didn't suggest he'd be that quality of horse,” Leatherbury said of the son of Parker's Storm Cat.

After overcoming a broken hip, Ben's Cat finally made it to the track as a 4-year-old. He won his first start in a $20,000 maiden claiming race, and continued on to win his first eight starts in a row. By 2011, Ben's Cat was rated as one of the top turf sprinters in the nation, and he earned a spot in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with a win in the $356,000 Turf Monster Handicap at Parx.

Since Leatherbury hadn't paid the $500 fee at Ben's Cat's birth, the fee to nominate the now 5-year-old gelding to the Breeders' Cup was up to $100,000. The trainer tried several different partnerships to make the fee, but in the end none of those panned out and Leatherbury decided not to bet on his horse for the second time.

The 2011 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Regally Ready was a horse Ben's Cat had just defeated in the Turf Monster.

Obviously, it wasn't all bad for Leatherbury and Ben's Cat. The gelding was voted Maryland Horse of the Year four times, and he ended up earning over $2.6 million over a 63-race career. Ben's Cat retired at the end of June this year, but suffered a bout of colic and passed away shortly after arriving at his retirement home in Kentucky.

“I probably didn't try hard enough to get Ben in [the 2011 Breeders' Cup],” Leatherbury said. “I think he would've won it that year, and he'd have been right there in the money for the next couple years. I wish I would have known the future a bit. That would have changed things. That's in the past, and who knows. But, yeah, regrets.”

Whenever I’ve lost a dear old friend, my regrets are usually more along the lines of how I wished I had spent more time with them as opposed to how much money I may have left on the table…To each their own.

He probably spent more time with Ben’s Cat in the horse’s lifetime than you’ve spent with many of your close family members.

Thank you for sharing how you feel when you lose a friend, though.

Baloo

Probably not, Amanda: Leatherbury’s regrets are only about $$$
And here you are, the defender du jour

Virginia Lawler

How do you know, seem so sure, that “Leatherbury’s regrets are only about $$$.” ?? I believe you are right…just not in the way you seem to imply.

Baloo

You folks need to remove the coke bottle glasses; KL is a man who bragged in the press about fooling another trainer into claiming a horse with a bowed tendon – he ran a compromised horse. I don’t buy at all this warm and fuzzy patina about the man.

OopsyDaisy3

Balooohoo – the bad men do dies with them, the good lives on long after they are gone. Mr. Leatherbury had all of Ben’s best interests up front and knew him better than any of us, including you. His regret was that he did not register him to give him even more honors than he earned. You obviously have a bone to pick with Mr. Leatherbury, why don’t you man up and contact him instead of using Ben’s Cat’s death to settle an issue
as you hide behind a blog name in disguise. Linda in Texas

Ruffian31

His regrets weren’t about money, they were about giving his horse a chance to shine on racing’s biggest day in a race he clearly belonged in. His talk about in the money was meant that he would have been in more opportunities to showcase his stuff and been competitive.

Livingston

Had a completely different take on this. Rather than your focus on winning $$, I interpreted it to mean that Leatherbury regretted not fronting the money and giving Ben’s Cat a shot at the Breeders Cup — where he clearly belonged. “In the money” meaning he would have been a serious contender. But then again, I’m a glass half-full kind of person…

Virginia Lawler

Ah, just read your post…after I wrote mine. So glad you wrote. I’m with you.

suze

I agree with your interpretation. Pretty obvious, actually.

norhymenoreason

Agreed…added luster for Ben’s Cat. Where he should have been spotted. The icing on a wonderful career for this horse.

Virginia Lawler

When most of us lose a dear old friend, I’d “bet” we ALL wish we could have/would have spent more time with such a person. It’s just so unfortunate you would totally miss the point of Mr. Leatherbury’s two biggest regrets…that he’d felt he had to decide…twice…that he could not cover the “bet,” meaning, the serious $$ to nominate/enter, Ben’s Cat for two Breeders Cup opportunities. Especially hard in 2011 when Ben had already beaten the eventual BC turf sprint winner. Mr. L. knew his Ben…how he showed over and over that he loved to run and had a will to win. His “greatest regrets” were that he did not/could not come up with the wherewithall to give him his BC chance. I’m so glad others understood his regrets properly. I’m just sorry Mr. Leatherbury probably read your note. But, thousands of us take heart at the bottom line…that this old trainer–who bred this remarkable gelding–loved Ben every day of his life…and that Ben loved him back.

OopsyDaisy3

Virginia Lawler, could not agree with you more. There was a deep devotion
Mr. Leatherbury had with dear Ben’s Cat. They both knew it and felt it.
Ben knew he was loved and that is what count’s when the sun sets.
Mr. Leatherbury, i have no doubt, saw Ben every day of his life. How many owner’s could say the same about their horses? Mr. Leatherbury regrets
he did not make Ben’s Cat more famous than he was by not nominating Ben’s Cat in the Breeder’s Cup at birth.
Please Mr. Leatherbury, you had a horse of a lifetime in Ben’s Cat, don’t dwell on what you did not do as Ben’s Cat obviously was a happy fella and one handsome one at that. Many of us will miss him. Thank you for the care and devotion you gave him. He knew it and that is what will live on in history for both of you. How many horses have been Maryland’s Horse of The Year 4 times? He was very special. Linda in Texas

Rose McCutcheon

Your words brought tears… I loved that beautiful Ben’s Cat.

Beau Geste

In fairness to IrishMick I think it was poorly written in that regard. If I had posted my first interpretation, I would be catching the criticism now directed at him.

Flying J

I don’t think he meant the dollars, but the legacy of the horse.

Judoon

I’m sure you know what was in Mr. Leatherbury’s heart well enough to paint him as a money-grubbing jerk. Really sure.

Denise Morgan

couldn’t agree with you more.

Steve Yoshimura

Very disappointing thoughts of the great old Ben. I’d have many more regrets than these two for sure.

maybe so, but not a mention from Mr Leatherbury. regretting that his horse died too soon & what a terrible death. RIP lovely boy.

Ruffian31

His thoughts are terrible because he regrets not being able to give Ben his chance to shine on racing’s biggest day, when he clearly belonged in the race? Why is that not good enough to be a regret?

Karl Holub

“Regrets for things done in the past can be tempered with time-regrets for things not done, are inconsolable.” I’m unsure of the author, but quite fitting. Ben’s accomplishments are undoubtedly comforting:-)

Virginia Lawler

What a delight to find your so appropriate quote by the late, longtime newspaper columnist and author Sydney J. Harris, who came to America at 5 and spent the rest of his life in Chicago, as I was growing up downstate…and later! Over the years, my Mom came up with a seemingly endless supply of his observations–the one you cited was a favorite! Others included, and I just hope I’m remembering them mostly accurately: “Happiness is a direction, not a state.” “Success is just a little more effort.” “The only way to avoid trouble is to avoid living.” “Never take life seriously; nobody gets out alive anyway.” “When I hear somebody sighing, ‘life is hard,’ I am always tempted to ask, ‘compared to what?'”

Karl Holub

Thank you Virginia:-) The article immediately brought the quote to mind! Thanks also for the wonderful additional quotes by Mr. Harris-I’m checking him out online. My favourite author is Oscar Wilde, and some of his 195 confirmed quotes are intellectual acerbic wit! For example: “Bigamy is having one wife too many-but monogamy can mean the same.” “I am not young enough to know everything.” How true, it hasn’t changed in 100 or so years since it was penned:-) Greetings from Canada, which you have already deduced by my spelling. It’s been a pleasure to cross paths:-)

Virginia Lawler

Thanks to YOU for the fine Oscar Wilde lead! Both examples just great, especially the one about being ‘young enough.’ Ha. And now I’ve learned there are many others to retrieve, including more featuring his unique wit! I’ve had great affection for Canada for several reasons over the years and just recently heard of yet another. Both Canada and my hometown University of Illinois celebrate 150 years in 2017, Canada a few months ahead re that nice milestone. My pleasure as well, Karl…. Now off to Google….

Beau Geste

One of my family’s sayings is similar; “Getting old is terrible. Until you consider the alternative.”

Eddie Rack

Enough with Ben’s Cat already!!! Why don’t you just change the name of this site to The Ben’s Cat Report???

If you’re not interested in reading stories about Ben’s Cat, you may want to try not clicking on headlines that include the words “Ben’s Cat.” Then you won’t be bothered with them.

Virginia Lawler

Thank you for such a proper, and absolutely great, put-down.

Beau Geste

Much in life is so much simpler than we make it out to be, isn’t it?

Darryl Grumling

Jesus Ray,
You could have paid tribute to a great horse in so many ways.
But instead you decided to link to some sophomoric story by some wanna-be, look-at-me hack.
Shame on you for even considering putting this on your (mostly) quality site.
Did you need some more clicks?

Flying J

First saw this on Twitter, it is an ugly take/twist on the trainer written by an ill informed person who has zero knowledge of racing. Leatherbury wasn’t lamenting the BC purses, only reflecting on opportunities missed.

KAY

Have no regrets. We all have them. Blessed to have a horse like him.

disqus_Wp1tYwcjgm

WTF!!! some of these comments taking shots at the trainer are ridiculous. Since some didn’t fare so well in reading comprehension, let me explain; Mr Leatherbury regrets not having faith in his foal to nominate to the BC at the time ( a $500 bet) or later after the Turf Monster win ( $100,00 bet ) and therefore regrets not giving Ben’s Cat the honor of participating in the BC.

john

Bens Cat was a great horse and had a huge heart. I am not hung up on the Breeders Cup stuff. My only honest regret is that they did not retire him a little earlier when he started tailing off and couldn’t compete like he had before in those MD bred stakes races ..

whirlaway

BC run or not nothing will change how I feel about Ben’s Cat he truly was an old time race horse we rarely see today. Always showed up and gave his best running many times and winning 32 races 26 of those races stakes. I understand humans often have regrets but Ben was just perfect as he was. Still miss you Ben you are a star never to be forgotten. 🌟 🌈

ctgreyhound

Sinatra song “regrets I’ve had a few…”. Leatherbury should have no regrets re: Ben’s Cat. The horse rose above any & all expectations, thrilled many a fan & showered Leatherbury with incredible memories on a cold night. Decisions should be made on the best information available at the time. Surely Leatherbury used that when mapping out a plan for Ben. Shoulda, woulda, coulda – is a human predicament to be used sparingly.

I don’t believe he regretted retiring Ben to a great place. And from what I’ve seen, Ben had a wonderful time in the pasture. He left us too soon.

rockybudgeboa

Wonderful article on a much missed treasure of a Horse

Bein

My biggest regret about Ben would have been knuckling under to pressure to retire him. The horse should have stayed at the track in a job he had his whole life. He should have just stayed at the track.

That said, I hope I can resist reading comments sections on racing sites forever more. I’m sick to death of know it all, negative and ultimately hatefully ignorant comments from people who haven’t ever set foot on a backside.

Beau Geste

Thank you. It is getting awfully hard to stomach. I have left a couple of other horse racing sites for this reason and would hate to leave Paulick, but boy, it’s getting awfully hard to stomach.